Cushioning structure for valves and the like



Aug. 24, 1954 G. J. HORNSBY 2,687,276 CUSHIONING STRUCTURE FOR VALVES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. :5, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 2 a a J GROINVENTOR VER J.- HORNSBY BY WHITEHEAD& VOGL PER M ATTORNEYS Aug. 24, 1954 QN Y 2,687,276

CUSHIONING STRUCTURE FOR VALVES AND THE LIKE F iled Dec. 3, 1949 's Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

F E9. 7 INVENTOR.

GROVER J. HORNSBY BY WHITEHEAD a V061.

PER 6% ATTORNEYS Aug. 24, 1954 G. J. HORNSBY CUSHIONING STRUCTURE FOR VALVES AND THE LIKE Eiled Dec. 3, 1949 S sheets shjeet 3 INVENTOR. GROVER J. HORNSBY BY 'WHITEHEAD a vosz.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1954 CUSHIONING STRUCTURE FOR VALVES AND THE LIKE Grover J. Hornsby,.Denver, 0010;, .assignorof onehalf to Byron H. Staats, Denver, Colo.

Application December 3, 1949, SerialNo. 130,902

Claims. 1

This invention relates to valves and closure means for conduits and more particularly to check valves, nap gates and other devices which are operable to close a passage upon a reversal "of how therein of substantially incompressible liquids, herein referred to as water, the invention having as an object to provide means assoelated with such valves and gates for the elimination of shock resulting from the closure operaition.

Another obiiect of "this invention is to provide a water cushion which retards the closing movement-oi the disc :of a check Valve as it is about to become seated.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a flap ate, a water cushion associated with the gate which retards and decelenates its closing movement a it approaches its seat.

Another obiect of this invention .is to provide means associated -with :a flap gate or with the disc of a check valve, whereby a water cushion is formed as the valve closes, which retards and decelerates the movement of the disc as it approaches its seat, thereby reducing the intensity of water hammer-shock in apipe line.

Yet another object or" this invention is to proride, in apparatus :of the class described, means to obtain a water cushion which are exceedingly simple and economical in construction, rugged and durable over a long period of actual use.

yWith the foregoing and objects .in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel constructions, .iea'l-nngemenm and combinations of parts as shall now be described and as defined in the appended claims and illustrated, in preferred crrrbod'inrent, in the accompanying drawmgs -irrwhich:

Figure l is a central longitudinal section of .a check valve, embodying the invention, shown in :closed position, the open position thereof being by thebrokenilines.

Figure 2 is a fragment, on an enlarged scale, of seating and closure elements of the structure illustrated at Fig. :1.

3 is similar .to Fig. :2, but showing the illustrated elements partially open position.

Figure 4 is similar to Fig. .2 :bllll illustrates an alternate construction of said elements.

Figure is similar to Fig. :2 but illustrates yet another construction :of said elements.

Figure 6 is a central longitudinal section of another type of check valve into which "the involition is incorporated, the open position thereof heingshown mtbroken lines.

'37 is a transverse section of the valve 2 illustrated at Fig. '6, as taken on the indicated line 1-1 at Fig.6.

Figure 8 is a central longitudinal section of a flap gate attached to the end of a pipe, as mod-ified to incorporate the present invention, the open position thereof being shown in broken lines.

Figure 9 is an elevation View as from the indi- 'cated arrow 9 at Fig. 8.

In closed conduits, such as pipe lines, where it is desirable to restrict 'the'flow of water to a given direction, various types of check valves may be used in the line, or a flap gate may be used. at the exit. Such valves or gates operate by the -movement of the water through the pipe, the regular flow opening a valve, and a reverse flow closing it. In ordinary operation of such valves and gates, the opening cycle proceeds smoothly enough, but the closing cycle may be "rather sudden and result in a slamming jar or shock. With a fiuid in the vapor state the sudden closure may not be especially serious except where the impact of the closure element against its seat causes 'un desirable noise. However, -where the fluid is a substantially incompressible liquid, as water, other complications arise in that the closure by such moving water may cause a water hammer impact due to the inertia of the moving water. the momentum of the water is sufliciently great, a vapor lock or cavitation pocket may be formed which will subsequently collapse to cause repeated shocks. 'In either case the attendant shock may be exceedingly severe and may be very dangerous in large structures.

One method of avoiding the possible shocks which result from a closure of check valves or flap gates is to decelerate the movement of the disc or ilap as it approaches the seating position to permit a gradual slowing down of the moving water body. A number of devices have been developed for such purpose, which are, in general, of the cylinder-dashpot type adapted more for the control of vapors such as gas or steam; however, such devices have not been entirely satisfactory with incompressible liquids, as water, because .of large forces which are involved. where the sudden closure is critical and because such devices are accessories to the valves and require Special designing to install. Moreover, such devices are expensive, both in initial cost and in maintenance. The need for an improved means for decelerating the movement of the disc or flap thus led. to the present invention, which by an exceedingly simple and novel expedient may be incorporated into any of the conventional types of check valves and flap gate with only slight modifications in their design.

The check valve illustrated at Fig. 1 might be considered as a globe type because of its similarity to a common globe valve. The body ID is formed as a spherical enlargement within a short pipe section H, the ends of which are adapted for the connection of pipes thereto as by flanges l2. This body is divided into two compartments Ilia and 10b by a partition 13 which extends diagonally across the body but is distorted at the center to provide a shelf 14 which lies in a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the valve. In this shelf there is an orifice defined by an annular wall l5 concentrically circumscribed by a seat It which lies parallel to the plane of the shelf M, the common longitudinal axis of the orifice and the seat [6 being perpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal valve axis. A closure disc I! is provided with a flattened circular base 18 which registers with the seat 16, and in operation of the valve, movement of the disc is along the orifice longitudinal axis with the base it! held in spaced parallelism with the seat it at all open positions. To hold and move this disc in the above-described manner, a circular stem [9 is centered along the orifice longitudinal axis with one end rigidly attached to the disc I1, and slidably engaged in a guide 20, whereby all movements of the disc are restricted by this guide. The guide 20 is attached to a cap 2| by a spider 22, and this assembly is seated to the body l within and against a flanged rim encircling the opening 23, holding it in proper alignment at all times. By removal of the cap 2 I the valve may be opened and inspected.

In the present invention the shelf I4 is of dimensions sufiicient to provide a comparatively extensive orifice wall l5 and to permit the seat- IE to be recessed and bounded by a circular wall 24 concentric with the orifice wall I5 and of similar extent. A trough 25 separates the seat It from the wall 24 to upstand the seat sufliciently to facilitate finishing operations in forming it. Both the wall 24 and the orifice wall is are tapered in the direction of the closing movement for purposes hereinafter disclosed. The disc periphery is shaped to nest in the opening formed by the orifice wall l5 and wall 24, and is divided into two parts with the base I8 therebetween. An outer rim 26 circumscribes the base 18 and is tapered to nest against the wall 24 with a selected gap or clearance 21'!) therebetween; a concentric inner rim 28, circumscribed by the base i8, is tapered to nest against the orifice wall It with a selected gap or clearance 21a therebetween.

The height or extent of the wall 24 and of the orifice wall l5 corresponds respectively with rims 26 and 28. It follows that the step-like construction of the shelf 14 and with the nesting step-like construction of the disc IT, a chamber 29 is formed between the shelf and the disc whenever the disc is unseated to an extent not greatly exceeding the wall, seat or rim extent, as illustrated at Fig. 3. This chamber 29, circumjacent to the disc H, is in communication with the compartments Illa and [0b through passages formed by the tapered construction and the clearances 21a and 21b. It is to be noted that the size of the said passages will vary and decrease to a minimum as the disc approaches the seat, and may be predetermined by variation of the taper of the walls and their respective rims, all as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The normal flow through this valve is indi- 4 cated by the arrows A, and with such flow the disc is moved away from the seat l6 as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1, as the pressure of the moving water acts on the bottom of the disc to lift it. However, a reversal of flow is accompanied by a reversal of pressure upon the disc, and it is normally accelerated towards the seated position. The function'of the above-described elements is to decelerate the movement of the disc as it approaches its seat, and as the annular chamber 29 is formed as the disc moves towards the shelf, the water in the chamber must be discharged therefrom through the passages formed by the clearances 21a and 21b. With these passages suitably restricted, in accordance with the nature and viscosity of the water, the water in the chamber 23 is subjected to an increasing pressure and a force is exerted against the disc tending to decelerate its movement toward the seat. This force is related directly to the velocity of the approach of the disc to the seat, because the pressure increases in the chamber 29 as the velocity increases, as the water must be displaced at an increased rate. It is further apparent that by reason of the tapered construction above mentioned the size of the passages descreases as the disc approaches the seat, thereby providing a complete and effective deceleration of the disc.

Variations in the construction of the wall, orifice wall and the respective rims are possible, one such variation being illustrated at Fig. 4. In this modification the wall 24 is not tapered, and the outer tapered rim 26 does not nest against the wall 24' except along a fiat edge 30 at the top of the rim; nor is the inner rim 28' tapered, and the tapered orifice wall 15 does not nest against the rim 28 except along a fiat edge 3! at the bottom of the orifice. Such alterations of passage may be designed to conform with various closure requirements.

Another variation of this construction is illustrated at Fig. 5. In this construction the base 18 on the disc is turned on an annular boss 32, and the seat I3 is formed in a recessed groove 33 concentric with the orifice wall i5, the boss 32 extending within the groove 33 to provide an annular chamber with small openings similar to chamber 29 in the Fig. 3 embodiment. Both the boss and groove may be suitably tapered to form variable side clearances 34a and 34b for purposes hereinbefore described.

The check valve illustrated at Figs. 6 and 7 is a gate type, where the body It! is constructed with a continuous passage therethrough, and the closure disc I! is centrally mounted transversely to the longitudinal valve axis when in closed position. In this construction the seat I6 is formed in the pipe section I I at the edge of the body [0, and the orifice wall 15 longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal valve axis; otherwise, the constnuction of the orifice wall [5, seat l6, wall 24 and trough 25 is identical to construction hereinbefore described. Likewise, the construction of the disc I1, base [8, and the inner and outer rims 28 and 26 are of the same construction as hereinbefore described.

However, in this construction the stem l9, centered along the disc longitudinal axis, is slidably engaged in a guide 20' which is affixed to an arm 35 hingedly attached to the valve body by a pin 35 above the disc ll. This arm and disc assembly, forming a swinging gate, is positioned within the valve through a suitable opening 23 encircled by a flanged rim in the body It) with the pin 35 mounted on open boxes. lflitntcgeal wvi'th the body "110 :at' tl'ie edge otitlre: (meningitis 1, lugs 38 -be'ing provided-on the eli p ll to lhold the rpm in mosition when the valve isclosefl hy the P.

F The 1 movement of the arm 3 5 :swingsthe :gate outwardly and eway ir-om the closed inosition :as illustrated by the broken lines at rFig. f6, ltheoutward "movement "being restricted-my the bounds- :ries of the :bo'cly l U and the :inwardflimitlof the arm movement being zrestrioted Fb'y a stop is on the arm 3% contacting amortion of the body Ill as clearly' sliown at Fig. 6. inward limit 'of movement positions the-guide 241 i n a'lignment with the longitudinal valve/ anis, outta-enact seating of the a disc, the stem 41! must bo moved to an extended position in the guide 20". stem is normally lreld out'of such position lay a spring All "mounted on the arm asby bo'1ts H to resiliently engage the --stem P9 at its end remote from the disc. This engagement is made 'positive by providinga groovefl? the-stem I andoy formlngthespfing end-as a rounded yoke 13 slidael'e withm the groove 42.

operation of this v-allvethe nomnellfl'owyas indiea'ted lay the arrow B, and tension-of *the spring 40 pull the l disc against theguide "2t" and the assembly then swingsoutwa'rd; -Err-closing, as bya reversal of 'iiow, the-assembly swings i-nwardly with the disc resilientry held against the-guide until the arm 35 attains its hmited'po- *sition as determined by the lug 39, whereupon fluidpressum causes eontinued movement'of the disc in alignment" with the seat, as he'reinhefore described, to form achamber fi fl between the disc and seat, whereupon the 'tlm-dwithin' -the ena-mber retards the movement-of the disc to elevate the shock of closure.

- The operative-elements of the has gate il- 'lustra-ted at Figs; -8 and 'are similar *to those of 'tlleval-ve illustrated at Figs. *6 and Tyeiltliough the flap gate is actually a yalve' attached tothe end "of a conduit? as 'i'l-lustrated at Fig. *8, and the body does not-enclosetne gate. *Inthe con struction illustratedtlre oodyis formed as et-seating "A l attached to the fian'ge 'dd-by a of bolts the trough'ifi lacing enlarged to 6 below the fabutmentwiflz and ismnonided: withfa notch issthereim Avishifting bar i1, is slidaiily mounted inguideifi" and the annlower iedgefl and: adapted towextend the notch z5=6aand be held therein :by :the stem :18 hearing :against its upper -A circumferential :notch: 58 as providedrin' tne-stem t9 wherebythe Ibar fiilnnay leave' the notch 156 when the disc is removed zfirom its-seated position-sand against the guide #20", a

359 being placed around the bar :r-esiliently 'force'w'rt against the :stem I 9". in this manner whenever' the :gateis opened theme-35:! lodges in the notch 58 ito hold. the. the guide.

The action of this gate is otherwise the'lsame as the aforedescriiaed valves, the gate opening with now from the pipeinthe direction of the arrcwC, but closing by a reverse of :flow. The latter part oftheclosune is retarded by a cham-- ber similar to chamber 2910f Fig; 3 forming between thedisc and seat-elements to avoida slam or the gate.

While I have illustrated and described. fibre-rein many details of construction, alternatives or equivalents will mccur to-those skilled .ain the art and I am not to be limi-ted in my protection to the details illustrated or described, but only :by the appended claims.

1. A flap valve, for incompressible liquids, adapted to open responsive to-"flow of liquid in a normal direction and to close responsive to reversal of-fiow; comprisingfin combination, a bo'dy having a circular ori fioe' therein, a fiat :a'nnular seat e ireumscribingsaid-orifice, the wall of said orifice tapering inwardly o'f the orifice from the inner-seatedge, *a concentrie circular well beyond the other side "of' the seat, circumscr ibing, and tapefing -'-outwardly f-rcrn the outer seat edge, hinge means 'mounted upon the onely, shitting means mounted upon the hinge means, :a closure disc having a fiat annular base adaptedtwcomate with said 's-eat, a circu-lar outer rim at the outer edge of i-said base tapering outwardly therefrom and lceing adapted tonest within but -be spaced "provide sufficient depth -'to- *permit insert-ion of a the colt heads. in this seating 'utng there "is-an orifice wall T5, '21, seat 1'6, a wall and the "enlarged trough 2 5-", all as here'inbefore described. "The flap gate "assemloly comprises a disc "W hay-- ing a base 31-8, and-inner andouterrims 2*!5-an'd it, the disc lacing attaxrlred {to an arm'3 5" a st-em 49" slidalc'ly '-engaging a guide QWand held thereon by "a bolt M and washer 48. The arm is hinge'dly mounted alcove the seating ring M by a "pin we inserted in lugs St-upstanding trom' th'e-seating ring.

The arm'35' is suitably made upesan inverted A-frame extending diametrically a-eross tnega te to increase the rigidity of the structure, and a cross-bar SI is attached thereto to earry the guide 20 and may beadjustahly positioned: for alignment of the guide and "disc with "the ring elements, and then securely attached "to the arm elements as by rivets The downward movement limit "of the arm '35 restricted" by the lower edge 53 contacting an aliutment E4 of the seating ring 34. With the arm so mosttioned it is necessary to extend the stem 19 itsgui'de toefiect a closure as hereinlaefo-re described, and with the "stem so positioned it "is desirable that the arm "be locked in its "dowrnv-ard limited posit-ion. 1A "lip 55 extends outwardly slightly from said seat-circumscri bing wall when the "lease 'i-s- -comatedwith the seat, and a con-centrio inner rim at-the inner edge of said Iozztse taporing therefrom inwardly of the orifice and being adaptedto-nest -Withinbut be spaced sle ghtly' -from-t'heor i-fece wall when the base is comated with the seat, said disc being mounted upon the shifting means, said 'hinge and shifting means adapted to-fiswing the --i-isc to a position of alignment in front of the orifice with the base in-spaced. parallelism and on a common longitu- 'dina-l *ax'is with the seat, :said shifting means being thereupon adapted to shift the :o ase into eomatingrelation "with the seat, along said'longitudina'l ax-is whereby to form a substantially closed chamber -hav'ing release passages leading in oppos -i-te directions 'from' said chamber which passages'dimini-sh in crcss sectional area as the base approaches the seat.

2. A *fla-ngate, for control-ling the ii-ow of incompressible liquids from a conduit, adapted to openre'sponsive to lio'wof liquid in a 'normal--dito-"c'omate with the seat, hinge means mounted upon *the body, a guide member integral said hinge'me'ans, est-em mounted upon thediso at the disc longitudinal axis and slidably carried within said guide member, said hinge means being adapted to swing the disc from an open position, away from the orifice, to a position in alignment in front of the orifice with the base in spaced parallelism and on a common longitudinal axis with the seat, whereby movement of the stem in the guide member effectuates movement of the disc to comate the base with the seat, a notch in the stem, a pin slidably carried upon said hinge means and adapted to move against the stem and engage the notch when the disc is moved away from the comating position, but to move out of the notch whenever the disc is in alignment with the seat, and lock means on the body including a notch adapted to be engaged by said pin when the pin is moved out of the stem notch to thereby lock the fiap gate structure in closed position, and resilient means to force said pin from the lock and into the stem notch when the stem notch is aligned with the pin to thereby release the gate structure upon movement of the stem notch to alignment with the pin.

3. The gate defined in claim 2, including configurations in the disc and body adapted to nest together during said shifting movement and form an annular chamber with relief passages to thereby retard the shifting movement of the disc to the seating position.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein said configurations comprise the wall of the orifice at the inner seat edge, a concentric circular wall beyond the outer seat edge, a circular rim extending beyond the inner edge of said base and adapted to comate with the orifice and a concentric rim at the outer edge of the base adapted to comate with said outer-seat-edge wall, said orifice and inner base rim being tapered inwardly from the seat and base respectively and said outer wall and outer rim being tapered outwardly therefrom.

5. A fiap valve, for incompressible liquids, adapted to open responsive to flow of liquid in a normal direction and to close responsive to reversal of flow, comprising, in combination, a body having a circular orifice therein, a fiat annular seat circumscribing said orifice, the wall of said orifice tapering inwardly of the orifice from the inner seat edge, a concentric circular wall beyond the other side of the seat, circumscribing, and tapering outwardly from the outer seat edge, hinge means mounted upon the body, shifting means mounted upon the hinge means, a closure disc having a fiat annular base adapted to comate with said seat, a circular outer rim at the outer edge of said base tapering outwardly therefrom and being adapted to nest within but be spaced slightly from said seat-circumscribing wall when the base is comated with the seat, and a concentric inner rim at the inner edge of said base tapering therefrom inwardly of the orifice and being adapted to nest within but be spaced slightly from the orifice wall when the base is comated with the seat, said disc being mounted upon the shifting means, said hinge and shifting means being adapted to swing the disc to a position of alignment in front of the orifice with the base in spaced parallelism and on a common longitudinal axis with the seat, said shifting means being thereupon adapted to shift the base into comating relation with the seat, along said longitudinal axis whereby to form a substantially closed chamber having release passages leading in opposite directions from said chamber which passages diminish in cross sectional area as the base approaches the seat, said hinge means including a hinged arm, a stop to limit the movement of the hinged arm toward the orifice and said shifting means including a guide associated with said hinged arm adapted to be concentric with the orifice-longitudinal-axis coincident with the limitation of the arm movement by the stop, a stem carried by the disc concentric with the disc-longitudinal-axis and slidable within said guide, and means adapted to normally hold the stem within the guide when the disc is away from the seat but to permit the disc to move towards, and comate with the seat subsequent to contact of the arm with the stop.

6. A fiap valve, for incompressible liquids, adapted to open responsive to flow of liquid in a normal direction and to close responsive to reversal of flow, comprising, in combination, a body having a circular orifice therein, a fiat annular seat circumscribing said orifice, the wall of said orifice tapering inwardly of the orifice from the inner seat edge, a concentric circular wall beyond the other side of the seat, circumscribing, and tapering outwardly from the outer seat edge, hinge means mounted upon the body, shifting means mounted upon the hinge means, a closure disc having a fiat annular base adapted to comate with said seat, a circular outer rim at the outer edge of said base tapering outwardly therefrom and being adapted to nest within but be spaced slightly from said seat-circumscribing wall when the base is comated with the seat, and a concentric inner rim at the inner edge of said base tapering therefrom inwardly of the orifice and being adapted to nest within but be spaced slightly from the orifice wall when the base is comated with the seat, said disc being mounted upon the shifting means, said hinge and shifting means being adapted to swing the disc to a position of alignment in front of the orifice with the base in spaced parallelism and on a common longitudinal axis with the seat, said shifting means being thereupon adapted to shift the base into comating relation with the seat, along said longitudinal axis whereby to form a substantially closed chamber having release passages leading in opposite directions from said chamber which passages diminish in cross sectional area as the base approaches the seat, said hinge means includes a pivot carried by the body, an arm hingedly mounted upon the pivot adapted to swing toward the orifice, a stop carried upon the arm adapted to limit the swinging movement toward the orifice and said shifting means includes a guide associated with said arm and a stem upon said disc slidable within the guide, and resilient means carried by the arm and adapted to normally draw the disc away from its seated position but will permit movement of the disc toward and comate with the seat.

7. A valve for incompressible liquids, adapted to open responsive to flow of liquid in a normal direction and to close responsive to a reversal of flow, including, in combination, a body having a circular orifice therein, a wall circumscribing the orifice, a fiat annular seat circumscribing the orifice wall and a wall circumscribing the seat; and a closure disc having a base adapted to comate with said seat and circumferential walls at the inner and outer edges of the base adapted, respectively, to loosely nest within said orifice wall and said seat-circumscribing wall, at least one of each pair of said nesting walls being inclined relative to the disc axis whereby the nestspacing between the walls of each pair reduces as the base approaches the seat.

8. The valve defined in claim 7 wherein said walls of both pairs have parallel inclinations.

9. The valve defined in claim 7 including a stem axially outstanding from said disc and guide means associated with the body slidably holding said stem in axial alignment with said orifice.

10. The valve defined in claim 9 wherein said guide means includes a hinged arm slidably carrying said stem.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Shaw ...2 June 16, 1874 Number Number Number 10 Name Date Burns Jan. 21, 1896 Anderson July 12, 1904 Schmidt July 19, 1904 Wittmer Mar. 6, 1917 Gibson Sept. 11, 1928 Smith Apr. 21, 1942 Livers l Feb. 26, 1946 Parker Dec. 2, 1947 Callahan July 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Nov. 6, 1888 

